par les allemands

There is a wall plaque on my route to work. It marks the residence of a French Resistance fighter who was was killed.  His name is ( is  , as in was is and always will be ) Serge Boldrini.  The plaque records that this is where Serge Boldrini who was shot on the 19 th day of July 1944 lived. The  plaque is situated in Nanterre on the main pedestrian route to La Defense. Thousands upon thousands of people pass this plaque everyday.

Well anyway , please do not ask me to tell you why - it's just one of those things , I decided to find out more about Serge Boldrini.

It turns out that Serge Boldrini , born in Venice of Italian parents and raised in Paris , and his sister were members of the French resistance who assisted Allied fliers  shot down over France. It took a brave man to hide bomber crews in those days. It took a brave man to climb into a rattling metal tube , climb thousands of feet into the air  and thousands of miles  through and into flak and Focke-Wulfs.  It took a brave woman to assist brave men  helping other brave men who had put their lives on the line for freedom.  Maybe that's what Serge Boldrini's sister and an English flyer , whom she was helping , had in common which drew each other together.

They fell in love.

Nobody will ever know whether Serge knew about his sisters affections for the English flyer or whether he cared.  He had work to do. It was mostly British boys falling out of the sky in his sector.So he  had British lives to save.  British boys to send back to their mothers , wives , sons , fathers and girlfriends. Before reporting back for more of the same.  His work was dangerous and had consequences. Which he had to face with his back to a wall in the Paris Metro , a bullet in his thigh ,  a platoon of soldiers gaining ground on him and too many yards of platform between himself and a man hole into the sewers. On the afternoon of the 19 th of July 1944. At half past four on a hot summer afternoon. Knocking off time for Parisien office workers. Checking out time for Serge Boldrini. One month before the liberation of Paris.

A year later the war was over and Serge's sister was in England married to the English flyer. A beautiful story of bravery in the face of terrifying consequences , love between two people from different countries and cultures and a hero who gave his life that others from another country might live and that many more in his country and our country might live in freedom.  Un Grand Merci a Vous Serge Boldrini !!. Rest in peace beautiful soul.

Now it is right , fitting and proper that Serge Boldrini should be remembered. And that his story should be told. Because it reminds us of his beauty as a  human being. It reminds us of what we are capable of. Heroism. Love.Sacrifice. Commitment and the ability to share and form bonds across cultures , nationality and language. But the  thousands of people who pass by the plaque each day are not told anything about who Serge was or what he did. Or why he did it. Or for whom he did it.Or who his sister was. Or what she did. Or love across cultures and people.They are simply told that on this spot lived Serge Boldrini , who was  executed. The plaque is a decent size on a decent size wall of a gated complex. There would be room to mention the fact that he helped British  fliers get home. There would be room to mention his sister. There would be room to mention the number of flyers he assisted. There would be room to mention any number of things that could unite people , give people cause to pause and reflect on what is best and most beautiful within us and furthermore  give thanks for this man's brave courage. But no. The plaque is quite telegraphic. Just here , on this spot lived Serge Boldrini.  Shot. On the 19 th of July 1944. And one other detail which I  suspect  Serge would find damned annoying.

No ,  more than just annoying  methinks he would not be best pleased. Not at all best pleased that nearly seventy years after the day when he faced a platoon of armed soldiers a great part of his plaque would be given over to letting the world know for ever more not that he gave his life for liberty , nor that he died for his adopted country , nor that he had not failed his comrades in the battle against tyranny but that  day in and day out for 24 hours a day 7 days a week 52 weeks a year thousands of Parisiens would simply be informed that he was shot  (' par les allemands ')   BY THE GERMANS .

We just never ever get things right do we ?.   

The 'lady' in my room last night

I got involved with a woman last night. It started out with just me. And a cup of coffee. Just  three minutes and one Soduku puzzle away from pulling up the sheets. Just me , the coffee , the Soduku book and the TV. And then she burst into the room. A 45 something ,  blond , lemon lipped , way less sexually satisfied than she would prefer to be snarling bitch. She did not use the door. She burst onto my TV screen. Snarling about immigrants and how she wants them all to piss off back to where they came from. Boy oh boy did she get my pulse racing and my heart pounding. And I wanted her body. On the end of fist and my foot. That other appendage wanted nothing of her. She stormed into my room towards the end of a short piece on CNN or CNBC - I forget as I was about to go to sleep - discussing the plight of immigrants in Alabama who are in danger of being seperated from family members and being deported as a result of new anti-immigrant laws.

You know what ?. Immigration is complex. And immigration does cause problems for indigenous communities. The less immigrants try to assimilate and integrate into their host communities the less and less satisfactory life becomes for indigenous communities. It is an undeniable fact that unless immigration happens in a democratic and controlled way it becomes unfair on the host communities. Many years ago I watched a TV program  following the foorsteps of a lone African migrant trying to get into Spain. He eventually got into Spain and the closing scene was of him one morning looking out across the city and asking why people made it so difficult for him to get to Spain. 'It's just a place' he said shrugging before the credits rolled up. Spot the mistake Sam. Spain is not 'just a place'. It is a nation. It is a society. It is home. For millions of Spaniards and their children. And their childrens' children. It is the anvil of their destinies. It  is  not 'just a place'. Immigrants put a strain on housing , education , health. They lower wages for the least poorly paid. These are undeniable facts.

So what's my beef with this woman ?.

It's like this. Her waspish point was that NOW that things were getting tough - and certainly they are - it is time to 'lighten' the load by 'offloading' people. What a screaming-me-me-me-me  hypocrite. These **** immigrant **** families in Alabama had settled in Alabama. They had made homes in Alabama. They had built lives in Alabama and intergrated  themselves positively into the community. And everyone knew about it. Everyone encouraged them to do so. When the times were good. Because it put money in everyones' pockets. Which constitutes a deal. An agreement. An agreement this wench chose to ignore saying 'These people knew all along that at any time they could be picked up and chucked out'. No lady. That's the way YOU want to see it. No lady YOU KNEW all along while YOU were deriving the economic benefits and they were paying YOUR wages - she was a librarian or something - that they came to the US with the intention of staying. And YOU encouraged them to stay - while the going was good for YOU. The fact that things are not rosy for YOU right now does not mean that THEY have broken a deal which YOU acquiesced to. YOU are the one breaking the deal. YOU are a self obsessed wicked bitch . That is YOUR problem and YOU should deal with it. You nasty bitch. Just stay out of my room.

OK I feel better now but the immigrant families still wonder whether they will see each other when they go to school and work in the morning. As I said immigration is a complex issue and needs open , honest and fair debate. Over time immigrants contribute to the economy. They pay taxes and they contribute to profits. Which get taxed sustaining the economy further.  But uncontrolled immigration changes the character of a society - very often for the worse. More often than not the people who stand to gain the most from immigation - business people - are the ones' least affected by it. Which is why we need an  open and honest debate. Not dishonest disengenous selfish snarling. Like the 'lady' in my room last night.   

********    immigrant    ********  Yes they are there ' illegally '  in terms of the  'law ' as it is written down on a piece of paper  but the fact that they have stayed there for so long with the acquiescence of the locals and the IRS  means that the term ' illegal immigrant ' cannot morally be used as an appellation for them. 

Five minutes

It was 1861 in the South Pacific. A 209 ton  whaler , the 'Grecian' , captained by one Thomas James McGrath, had left Hobart at the end of December 1861 for a season of whaling , crewed by Englishmen , Maoris and Portuguese. After about 14 months of whaling the captain became minded to go birding. Nice. Well no - not tweety tweety bird watching actually but 'Blackbirding'.  'Blackbirding' was the practice of stealing people from their islands and selling them to mother-merchanting sister-selling father-flogging mine owners in Peru and Chile.

'Blackbirding' was carried out by inviting islanders on board ship to partake of either a feast or to select  for themselves 'gifts' of  trinkets and blankets. And then at an opportune moment when the islanders were either too engrossed in eating or squabling over trifles  the hatches would be slammed shut , fastened and the ship would quietly slip off onto the high seas with a load of freshly created misery and despair. To say nothing of  whatever could be tearing through the hearts and minds of the wives and children left behind as they blinked at the soul destroying new reality that the universe had visited upon them as they awoke  next morning. The operation was carried out with nods , winks and the kind of effusive  false sincerity that would have any used car salesman taking notes. It goes without saying that the success of  such a diabolic fraud hinged upon complete co-operation and conivance from all the members of the crew. In todays parlance they all had to be on-message. They all had to be team players. They all had to be with the program. They all had to be wearing the same mask of grizzled friendship and had to be able to instantly comprehend each others finely coded signals in order to hop and piroutte to the right location at the crack of the trapdoor moment.

Now remember the date. 1863 . The American Civil war was raging. Slavery still had  mileage in it and it still had interesting possibilities for an energetic and amoral thug.

Remember the place. Nemo Point. Say it out loud. Say it slowly and tremulously. Nemo Point. That's where they were not too far from. That place in the ocean furtherest from any land anywhere on the planet. Far from law , order and  that sucour which civilized men of principle when banded together in an organised fashion ,  can  offer to  victims of injustice and the champions of those victims.      

 

So off to blackbirding the Grecian would go. Gently brushed along by balmy Pacific winds and soft sea shanties in the moonlight. Sans souci. The exertions of whaling to be replaced by the wailing of filthy black savages in the hold and thereafter payment in  gold !.

Which gold of course bought the finest whores in all of Cathay ,  property where the air was good  , horses whose pedigrees ran all the way back to Arabia and entre to oak panelled clubs and smoking rooms.


But then up jumped an Englishman -- or actually maybe he was an Aussie or maybe a New Zealander ,  bloody hell reader I just don't know.

Who said 'No'. Absolutely not. No ways. Count me out. In your dreams sunshine. Never in a million years.  'What the fuck do you think you are doing ?'  ---  in the language of  any modern restaurant kitchen.

'Why Thank You' said the Lord , the Creator of Heaven and Earth , the One who created all men to know Him to love Him and serve Him and in the New Heaven and the New Earth to rule over angels.

 Ne'er mind the place ; ne'er mind the date ; ne'er mind race or visage ; ne'er mind fate. All counted for naught to this  white man who said  'No'. People are not to be sold. Fathers belong with their sons. Husbands belong with their wives. Sons belong with their fathers. Sort of like as in 'families'. Together. Joined up. There for each other. In a kind of  cosy warm and snooky way  you could say.

'Why Thank You ' said the Lord , the Creator of Heaven and Earth who created all men to know Him to love Him , to serve Him and in the New Heaven and the New Earth to rule over  angels!.  'Thats more or less  what I had in mind when I created you all'  He may have added - possibly.

 John Turner was his name.

But he was not for turning. Evil he would not do to a fellow man. No matter what. His NO must have resonated with others beacause six other brave men came to be stood on his side.     

Which gave old captain McGarth a pineapple-up-the-arse class of problem. He could not shoot the man. Others would talk. Because the bastard was an Englishman or an Aussie or New Zealander. Flogged , yes , he could still do that. But how could he go plucking savages if this knarly choir boy was going to be spittling and screeching his noisome whinging drivel about the wrongs of this and the rights of that ?.

But but but , reader - the devil is  gracious to his own and quickens to their distress sorting out the ho-hum technical details of going about the evil that he so desires from them. Our little red beforked one it might well have been who caused the captain to run through the books and discover to his immense delight , that Turner and his men ---  were out of contract!.  Problem solved. He could take them to the nearest land and leave them there. Legally. They could be legally left at any 'port' whether it  was the port of London or a mark on a map , which he promptly proceeded to do. Without I suppose nary a nod even to  poor old Nick. But that's OK. Old Beezlebub suffers ingratitude quite superbly when he is best pleased.

Feaful reader - take courage , for as quick as the evil one is to enfortune his disciples so is our Good Lord yet quicker to embossom to Himself those who do the will of His Father.

For this 'rock' that our wheeler-dealer-in-excrutiation was happenstancing his bouncy way over the waves towards , was a pretty damn decent , not too half shabby island. This was no desert island rock. It was well populated. With a great many adults and an even greater many children. And pigs. And birds. And fish. And plants. Men and women. Young men there were and old men were there. Which meant that the chances of living to a decent old dotage could not have been too shabby. Old women there were and yes yes yes oh yes - young women there were too.History was in the making children. Seven men , brave , strong , holy and true weere going to take up permanent residence on an island not yet ravaged by greedy asset stripping , family wrecking , quarterly reporting , spivy corporates. Seven men , brave , strong , holy  and well skilled in all manner of craft like rope making , disease prevention , carpentry ,  rudimenatary mathematics ,  navigation , sanitation ,  defense works , port construction and metal working were going to be put for evermore at the service of a virgin nation. Seven  brave , strong , holy  and -- if the  Lord , the Creator of Heaven and Earth who created all men to know Him to love Him , to serve Him and in the New Heaven and the New Earth to rule over  angels had calibrated everything just right --    permanently horny men were going to plunge themselves for ever and ever into the very DNA of this beautiful yet genetically thirsty island.

This little rock on the other of the planet surrouded by the blackness of the night and the sea was set to sparkle more and more brightly the darker it's surrounding seas became. A jewel for the Creator to feast his sacred eyes upon after a day of watching the bright side of the planet snarl , cheat , lie , stab , steal and spit on every noble possibility that He had planted within them. This little rock was to become a nation  conceived thorough a response to the Divine within men  , born  into justice , growing in justice ,  where justice and mercy  would flow like the river of  Amos's desiring.   

But John Turner and his 6 friends had no way of knowing  any of this  on the morning of his 'punishment'.

As the stoics were stood on the deck that morning bespying that black  speck upon which they were to be cast they could only have murmered their very own unique versions of the  gasp our Lord made on His cross. 'Father into Thy hands we commend our spirits.'  That they had not flinched from their resoluteness not to partake in the machinations of satan is evidenced by the fact were taken to and made the coast  And were landed.

On Niue. In 1863.

Now as vast as the sea was in those days , stories of white men got around. As they had been for about a hundred years. The tellings of tales around campfires and the re-telling of those tales on catamarans on long voyages to distant cousins on far flung atolls did the whole PR exercise of White Man Inc no bloody good at all. Word of the 'birding' got around. So it was no surprise that upon disembarkation the islanders were somewhat less than delighted to be in receipt of this freshly landed cargo. Just a tad. Just enough to get themselves into a murderous frenzy of war paint and  unabridged ululated and shrieked accounts of the fate about to befall  our stoics. The abridged form  would have short - being abridged of course. And bloody.

But but but , remember reader what I said about those who do the will of  the Father and his Heavenly Bosom ?. Indeed. For just as the courage of a good man , Joseph of Arithmea , was probably shortcircuited by his creator for purposes of His own  making so were there men true and holy on board the ship who lacked only the courage of John Turner and his friends. It will be evidenced later that the first mate was such a man . And he would have had knowledge of the captains' purpose and the mens reasons for their situation. But but but , how would the word of this Joseph have been communicated to the islanders ?. Co-ee  wakey-wakey all ,  our loving God always has a plan for the rescue from the lions' dens of  His  Daniels. He had a plan for the  founding of a nation , just one small nation born not on the dry  parchment of a ho hum yawned ode to the rights of man - but one born out of an act of stoic and unflinching refusal to enslave a fellow  human being. You see he planted someone there years before. One who came from the cobbled streets of an English country village , schooled in theology and gifted in languages. One who was fluent in English and the tongue of the islanders. A missionary . An English missionary ! .And he was at the head of the mass of islanders !.

So all could be explained. All would be explained. In the tongue of the white people to the tongue of the islanders. And from the tongue of the islanders to the tongue of the white people. Living examples  of 'Love thy Neighbour' and 'No Greater Love hath any man' had come to the shores of the island in a manner  achievable only  by a God who moved in very  very mysterious ways.

He had sent His finest.

May it please the scepticals amongst you to know that  I suspect not  for one moment nor purport at all  that John Turner nor any one of his friends self-appraised themselves in such a saintly light  - at all. They all probably drank fought swore gambled and whored as much as any of their peers. They were seaman and probably esteemed themselves a bunch of very bad sea doggies. Only a drinking fighting swearing gambling punching whoring man ever went to the other side of the world in those days. It was a requirement lest it became neccessary to disembark seasick sissyboys at the first port of call you see. And yet as much as they had done loads of baaaaaaad , no evil could they do to a fellow creature.

Now the missionary's  concerns could not have been over  the  spreading of air borne diseases amongst the population which moved the missionary to do what he did , as they had gotten used to him alright. And his wife. And their children.Yep our missionary packed everything a lonely missionary could or would need for a five year sojourn on the other side of the world. Including not to forget to remember to pack a wifey before he left , marrying one two weeks before he set sail.

He would  not have had concerns that the seven were going to spread venereal diseases. The South Sea Islanders were strongly reputed , falsely of course as we now know today , to able to withstand venereal diseases well and the vegetables of the islanders were reputed to have great efficacy against this malady.

Besides being a missionary himself on the one hand and having the trust and confidence of the vast majority of the islanders on the other there would have been no  problem controlling this aspect of life. Moreover  he was a man of the cloth  He could simply marry them all up !. Simples.

It could not have been the threat of violence against the islanders. These seven were tried and tested men of peace.And brotherly love to all men. Men full of  'thou shalt not kill your neighbour' and 'thou shalt not steal your neighbour' and  'thou shalt most definitely never ever think of selling thy neighbour to the highest bidder'  .No No No. It could not have been fear for his people.

No.So what was the problem ?. For whom was he afraid ?. Not the islanders. No. Not the seven , atimes sinners  , presently saints , on the sands before him. No.

He could have only have been afraid for himself. Our missionary would no longer have been the sun the moon and the stars. He would have been politically  compromised if he had failed to act. His political star would diminish if he stayed his hand and commended the islanders  to allow the men to stay. His personal  mission to carry out the great commission would be have been complicated no end  and could   have raised all sorts of uncomfortable questions in drawing rooms in far off England. So this once ,  just this once ,  for the sake of the long term goal you see , he deviated from his own convictions. He did not stay the islanders. Just what did he , our Divinitatis Doctor  do ?.

He told them that they  had five minutes to fuck off. Yes just five minutes  ---   otherwise. Otherwise....


Stabby stabby slitty slitty throatee. Eat your brains and drink your pee. White meat can be such a treat.


So they fucked off.


And the Niueans all ended  up mostly on the edge of  society in the country of  New Zealand  In shitty damp housing scattered here and there and just about  everywhere. Another broken people. Oh dear.

And John Turner ?. Well rememeber Joseph of Arimethea ?.The first mate found his bottle in the end just like Joseph of Arimethea  - and took John and his friends back on ship. For which disobedience to the captain  he  was disembarked in Fiji together with John and 6 friends and there they drop off the record.

Which frankly  pisses me off completely because I  really need to know that it all worked out OK for John Turner and the first mate and the other six and that  some gorgeous Polynesian women made them all very very  happy for the rest of their days. They had  served their mysterious God in courageous ways.

   
And  'churchiness' , the 'business' of  the Church  and the 'politics' of the Church  had  once again triumphed over Holiness.

 Damn.

 


   The Approach to Niue                                                    

MOUVEMENT ?

            Did some more sauntering around the Occupy La Defense 'camp' Friday night , Saturday and Sunday. Sauntering around sauntering around sauntering around. Stopping , reading the placards ,looking at the 'art' , reading the placards , looking at the 'art' .And yes smiling at people. In a very nice way. In a way that said 'speak to me'.  In a way that said  'You can speak to me   -- if you want to---   if you really really want to. ' Nobody responded. No one returned my smile. These are revolutionaries - it seems. Revolutionaries are stern. Revolutionaries are serious. Revolutionaries are made of iron. Revolutionaries don't smile - it would appear. Which is why real revolutions only happen once every two thousand years - it seems. You see reader , if this was a Christian event it would be nigh on  impossible to get near the place before someone would approach you. With a smile. The 'indignes' miss something that the people whom I suspect they despise a lot - Evangelicals - have in spades.

Approachability.

         The early Christian disciples WENT OUT. They spoke to people. They got to know people. They befriended people. They engaged with people. And Christianity grew. The mouvement in La Defense is not moving. Yes it is an occupation. It is sedentary. It stays in one ideological place and is membered by a particular niche class of Frech society. A clique in other words. Shame. The world does need change. A millenial change. The world needs Accountability , Responsibility and Transparency. But like the pious man who had his reward  in the form of  the esteem he received from his peers so it is with you mes amis , you have received your reward in the form of your clique membership. Enjoy yourselves but do not call yourself a 'mouvement'.

 You move nothing.

Tale of two Worlds in one City

          On  my way up to La Defense I  was gently approached by two sweet but very smartly dressed jeune filles who tried  to enjoin me to sign a petition to the local Maire or some other body entreating the powers that be to block  the erection of a new tower between  La Defense and Courbevoie. I did my little 'Desole Madamesiolle mais je suis presse , je ne habite pas ici' routine  and sauntered on past the Occupy La Defense manifestation. Espousing the same nimby values couched in vastly different terms. Probably about 200 paces apart they were but these two groups of  people are living in two different realities but sharing the same ignorance.

        It's high noon mes amis.

       Croisannce Economique ou Tombée Dans La Miserie.

      That's the choice and it's side choosing time.

      It's no good  arresting economic development and then wailing when nothing comes from nothing. You can't have  BIEN ETRE  and have BEANS at the same time. You know the old 'guns or butter' thing. It's Bien Etre or Beans. Without the beans the bien etre will turn to la miserie. There is nothing for nothing. Yes capital is running wild and unpunished. Yes there is no accountability and visibility into the machinations  of the markets. But that does not mean we can escape economic reality. If that tower does not go up then 1000 builders do not get to eat.And pay tax. And support the pension schemes. And the building suppliers do not get to eat and pay tax and support the health system. And the workers who would work in the building do not get to eat and pay tax and support the City.

      What the world needs now is GROWTH and not nimbyism.

      Whether that nimbysim is blatantly selfish focussed exclusively on local 'pwoperty pwices' or nibysim dressed as 'concern for the environment'. Unless of course we all actually want to go back to the stone age. The tower is not going to hurt anyone. The tower is not a health risk. The tower will not cause soil erosion  or atmospheric pollution. Little children in Courbevoie will still breathe perfectly well. And eat  well. The skyline will be re-arranged. So what ?. Property prices in Courbevoie may drop. So what ?. They are too high anyway. Artificially high  property prices are at the heart of the economic crisis.If property prices go down rents will go down. Disposable incomes will rise. The economy will grow.And then property prices will rise again.No man can serve two masters. We all either serve self via the worship of mammon and ideology or we all  work for the greater good.

     But we must all work. There is no escaping that

  . OK now it's back to work for me

America and France Brother and Sister

France and America

1. Are the only two countries in the world with operational aircraft carriers. That's 'operational' , as in working.The  Chinese ex_ukranian bathtub won't be  fully operational for at least two years and the Russian Ad Kutnetsov breaks day twice a day and limps from port to port.  

2. Are both obsessed with food  - yet have no idea what to do with a simple potato

3. Are both No 1 and 2 food exporting nations in the world

4. Both have the largest subsidized agricultural sectors in the world

5. Are both pioneers in Aviation Wright brothers Lindbergh Earhart Bleriot Montgolfier First parachutist male and female were French

6. Both are staunchly Republican yet deify ‘celebrities’   Michael Jackson Gerhard Depardieu in a manner that only India comes close to.

7. Both of them, out of the same monumental cussidness ,  run second rate health systems because the Brits have implemented the one that works. The Americans put Accounts payable between the patient and the doctor the French put a Kafkaesque bureaucracy between the patient and the doctor

8. Both countries waste public space - probably because there is so much of it , yet neither appreciate the economic ramifications of doing so.

9. Both Americans and the French favour form over content. In both cultures what you say is not important but rather the way you say it which is important. . In any kind of discourse with either Americans or French pose takes precedence over prose.  Which explains the last dozen or so American and French presidents.

10. Both use foreign troops to fight their most dangerous wars. The French have their foreign legion , the Americans use my brothers in PMC's. South Africans are the third largest contributer to the body counts in Iraq and Afghanistan. But like casualities in the Foreign legion they cause no political ripples. They don't exist on anyones political landscape.  

11. Both countries had their arse’s kicked by the Vietnamese and the Arabs.

12. Neither the French not the Americans do irony.

13. France and America are both approximately the same age. US 1776 France 1798  ( Apres le Ancien Regime )

14. Both the US and France have Disneyworlds

15. Neither fully realized their dreams of Empire and world domination and both hate the Brits with equal ferocity on that account.

16. Neither the French nor the Americans will answer another person’s phone in their absence.

17. In India one farmer commits suicide every 30 minutes. India is a developing country. In France and the US , developed countries ,  more than one farmer  commits suicide  every day. In the UK it is barely once a week. The high suicide rates of French and US Farmers takes place in spite  of ( or maybe because of according to some analysts ) the fact that both countries have instituted bodies to mitigate suicides amongst farmers . In France it is the ‘Mutalite Sociale Agricole’ and in the US it is the Federal Farm Support program.  Both employ bailiffs who push the farmers over the edge and then employ  councilors to ‘help’ the grieving widows. So whilst neither does irony they both do cynicism – in spades.

18. Mayonnaise was invented in both France and the US as were  sewing machines and clothing irons

19. Both countries have an element named after them , Francium and Americium ( and yes Polonium named by a Frenchman well )

20. Both America and France were and still are pioneers in the nuclear industry.

21. Both America and France were pioneers of the Personal Computer. In fact the worlds’ first was French  -- the MICRAL in 1972

22. Both Americans and French love grandiose job titles. Eg I am ‘Ingenier Base de Donnees’ what a laugh. I worked for an American company once as a Cost and Scheduling Engineer -  lol – I was a planning clerk.

23. Both express faux shock and horror at any mention of each other yet they are the only major countries today (and yes Portugal and the UK but it is a moot point whether Portugal counts as a major country anymore) who have never ever been at war with each other.

24. In both cultures it is important to ‘emote’.

25. Both countries have an extensive collection of islands in the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.

26. Have both had revolutions.

Just how much more alike can two countries be ?????? 

Feel free to add to the list via the comments button

A replica of the statue of Liberty on the Seine 

Occupy La Defense

 I  milled around the world's feeblest protest today in La Defense. There were more tourists than police and there were a LOT more police than protesters. It was all rather 60's with a chanteuse trying to fire up the unwashed to little avail. Even the arrival of an accordianst could not fire up the crowd. All very very tres amicable to say the least. I was about to go when I noticed two jeune filles join the crowd. I would notice them. They were jeune filles. BUT unfortunately the most noticeable thing about the jeune filles was the Palestinian flag they were carrying on an impromptu cardboard poster with some stuff about the evils of Israel. Oh dear. Oh dear Oh dear. The very last country in the world to be even remotely connected with the current economic situation would be  Israel. You see reader it's like this. - Oh bloody hell I forgot the disclaimer - I am not Jewish or Israeli and none of my best friends are either. Got that ?. Good. Anyway yes it's like this. The nub of the problem is this concept of 'fiduciary duty'. This is the duty that banks have to their shareholders. And bankers have carried out their fiduciary duty - to their shareholders -  rather well. Except if you were Lehman Brothers perhaps. Because if you were Lehman Brothers it would have been your fiduciary duty to suck up to the right people  , as Goldman Sacks did , to ensure the well being of your share holders. You see the Banks are legally innocent. Morally ?. That's a whole other story. But they are protected by their very own fiduciary duty. They have done nothing 'wrong'. A couple of trillion dollars worth of less than due diligence here and there but nothing that is going to have anyone eating jailfood or watching out lest he or she drop the soap in the shower. And the reason is this. BOTH the Anglo Saxon and European interpretation of 'fiduciary duty' hold that a Banks' SOLE duty is to their shareholders. And this is the problem. If it were any other industry like shampoo making the directors of the company would be beholden to and strictly held accountable by a raft of Public Safety Laws. They would have a statutory duty of care to the wider public to control the supply of chemicals which  if  ended up in the hands of angry Bin Ladies or Bin Ladins  , might bring down the whole of Lufthansa  Qantas and Easy Jet. ( Mind you the managements of  some these companies are doing a pretty good job all on their own ). They would have to take extreme caution that the Gas Supply could not possibly threaten the welfare of the neighbours. But not so the banking industry !. They are solely accountable for the financial welfare of their shareholders and in the words of Apocalyptica - Nothing Else Matters. EXCEPT In ISRAEL !!!!!. Would ya believe it !. You see the Israeli Supreme Court interprets a Banks fiduciary duty to extend to the public and the economy at large. So if these highly ammoral yet legally untouchable wa.... I mean bankers had pulled the same cunning stunts in Israel they could well be eating jail food and taking extra care in the showers lest they became stunning something or others for sons of other mothers.

Just another sad sad example of where this three and a half thousand year old anti-Jewish disease robs us as a species of the opportunity of learning from each other for the benefit of mankind.